Serving fork



Feb. 11, 1930. H. F. wYLY, JR ,747,039

SERVING FORK Filed April e, 1929 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 11, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT orifice HENRY F. WYLY, JR., OF ATLANTA, GEORGA, ASSEIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T EDGAP B. BUSBEE, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA 1 SERVING FORK Application led April 6,

The present invention rela-tes to improvements in serving forks, one object ot the invention being the provision ot a 'fork having a spring-retracted pushing member Whereby the prongs may be cleared ot an article, such as bread or butter, during service and also whereby the parts may be readily taken apart for sanitary cleaning and, When necessary, for the removal of the spring.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a serving fork in which the handle is disposed at right angles to the supporting member ot the forl and pushing member or ejector operating mechanism, thus permitting the fingers and palm of the hand to grip the handle and leave the thumb tree for operating the ejector.

il-.lith the foregoing and other objects in vien', which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangements of parte. and in the details ot construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made Within the scopeJ ot what is claimed Without departing from the spirit of the invention. A

ln the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective vieiv of the complete device with the ejector retracted;

Figure 2 is a view in end elevation showing portions ot' the device in section;

Figure 3 is a section through the forl proper and its carrying member taken at right angles to that shown in Figure 2;

Figure e is a section taken on the line 4 4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a section taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 6 designates the hand grip Which is provider. with the deformed under side 7 to accommodate the fingers ot the hand While in gripping position, and the numeral 8 designates the tubular supporting member of the device Which is disposed at right angles to the handle and provided With the bore 9 therethrough. The fork proper, 10, is provided With the tivo v prongs 11 having the internally opposed TVI shoulders 12, the purpose of which will pres- 1929. Serial No. 353,076.

ently appear. The member is also provided With the shoulder portion 13 and with the reduced tubular end 1d Which lits Within the bore 9 or the tubular support 8 and is held therein by means of the adjusting or locking milled nut 15, which is readily accessible to permit the easy assembling or taking apart ot the present device. The nut 15 constitutes in reality a closure tor the upper end of the tubular portion 14 of the member 10, While said member 10 is provided With the bores 16 and 17 therethrough for the sliding reception or" a rod 18 having mounted thereon the removable limiting disk 19, the detailed construction of which is clearly shown in Figure Ll. A spring 2O is enclosed Within the enlarged bore 17 and bears against the disk 19 so as to elevate the rod 18, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, with the disk 19 resting against theunderside of the nut 15 and with the thumb-piece 21 carried by the rod 18 elevated. The rod 18 is flattened, as at 18, to receive the slot -19 of the disk 19. By this means the disk 19 is readily positioned upon the rod and held against longitudinal movement and is easily accessible when desired. In order to prevent the member 10 from rotating, so that the prongs 11 Will always be at right angles to the hand grip portion 6 of the present device, a pin 26 is carried by the member 10 and lits Within the slot 27 in the lower end of the tubular portion 8 and is held seated therein by means of the milled nut 15.

The lower end or" the rod 18 is threaded, as at 22, and forms a detachable connection between the rod 18 and the pushing member or ejector 23. This ejector 28 is provided With the oppositely disposed biturcated terminals which embrace the respective prongs 11 and act as a guide whereby the ejector 23 may be moved longitudinally of the prongs to assume the positions as shown in Figures 2 and 3, thereby permitting the engagement of the article to be served bythe free prongs when the members are in positions as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and the release of the article from the prongs When the ejector is caused to assume the position as shown in Figure 3, that is, When the thumb has depressed the rod 18.

From the foregoing description it is evident that the present device, being of such simple construction and with the spring enclosed in the manner set forth, is sanitary and can be readily taken apart for cleaning and in the event of the breakage of a spring 20, a renewal of the spring can be readily accomplished by disconnecting the rod 18 from the ejector 23 and disconnecting the end 15 from the member 10 and thus permitting the spring to be removed by entirely pulling the rod 18 outwardly with the milled nut 15 and thus freeing the enlarged bore 17 for the reception of a new'spring.l

In order that hot bread and the like may more easily adhere to or be held by the prongs when being served, the inner or opposed edges ofthe prongs may be provided with the small teeth 29, which teeth are in the form of small saw-teeth.

That I claim is:

1. A serving fork, including a tubular member having a hand grip portion formed at right angles to the bore thereof, a forked member having a reduced portion mounted in the tubular member and extending upon opposite sides thereof, cooperating means for locking the two in assembled position, an ejector slidably mounted upon the prongs of the forked member, and a spring projected rod mounted in the forked member and through the axis of the tubular member and connected to retract the ejector.

` 2. A serving fork according to claim 1, in which the coacting means comprises a milled nut fitting upon one extremity of the forked member and engaging the tubular member.

3. A lserving fork according to claim 1, in which the portion of the forked member enclosed within the tubular member is provided with a bore, said spring being mounted in said bore and exerting a pressure in the opposite direction to the prongs of the forked member, and detachable means mounted upon the rod and engaging said spring whereby the rod is held with the ejector retracted.

4. A serving fork, including a hand grip, a tubular portion at right angles thereto, a forked member fitting in said tubular portion and provided with a central bore therethrough, a spring mounted in said bore, an ejector slidably mounted upon the prongs of the fork, a rod slidably mounted in the bore of the forked member and extending beyond both ends thereof, one end being detachably attached to the ejector, means carried by the rod and engaged by the spring to normally hold the rod with the ejector retracted, means for locking the prong-carrying member in the tubular portion, and a thumb knob carried by the free end of the rod.

5. A serving fork according to claim 4L, in which the coacting means carried by the forkedmember and the tubular portion holds 

